Hello! This year, we will only be doing the community service portion of the 2012 Jordin Sparks Experience. Jordin will be visiting a women's shelter and delivering teddy bears to the children. We are looking forward to Tampa 2013 Jordin Sparks Experience! Thank you for supporting The M.A.D. Girls, Inc. and Sheltering Wings!

Please take a look at our video. If you'd like to support our 2012 Mission of supporting the Nyada Orphans Project please contact us at [email protected]

The residents, staff, and volunteers of Sheltering Wings were treated to a visit by Jordin Sparks, 2007 winner of “American Idol.” Sparks has been trying to make a positive impact on the Super Bowl cities for the past five years.

This year, she is visiting four domestic violence shelters in Indiana, including Sheltering Wings Center for Women in Danville.

“I am so glad these women and children have such a nice, safe place,” Sparks said. “Sheltering Wings is a phenomenal place. This facility is amazing.”

The visit was coordinated by Sparks’ mother, Jodi Sparks. She helps to operate The M.A.D. Girls, Inc., a non-profit organization serving the community by managing individuals or organizations in helping identify and implement projects to benefit a cause or humanitarian effort.

“The ‘I’m M.A.D. Are You?’ campaign did a lot last year in Dallas,” Jodi Sparks said. “That was also a good city for us.”

Sparks, 22, was the youngest winner of “American Idol.” She was 17 when she won.

She brought teddy bears and lanyards for those who attended. She sang, read to the children, then spent nearly two hours meeting each individual, sign autographs and posing for photos.

She also held a question and answer session, allowing the children to get to know her better. One of the first questions was how “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell was during her time on the show.

“One time he said I did a weird smiley thing when I sang,” she said. “I love to smile. He once said I was like having 10 lumps of sugar in his coffee. I took that as a compliment. He was very nice to me.”

The children asked questions about how the competition was in Hollywood and how life has changed since she won.

“I had a lot of fun, but there was a lot of pressure,” Sparks said. “We would have to get up at 7 a.m. and then the judges would not arrive until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. By then, you were all frazzled and nervous.”

Sparkssaid it’s been a challenge getting used to being recognized by the public.

“It’s easier to go to the movies on a Tuesday matinee, with all the senior citizens,” she joked. “But I would not change anything.”

She said her faith in God has helped to keep her grounded.

“I was raised by a super loving family,” she said. “I know that Jesus died and rose for me. I look at things with a much broader scale when I’m making decisions.”

Sparksspoke about her best friend that she has known since she was 3 years old.

“She got married last year and I was her maid of honor,” she said. “My pastor told me ‘if you have one close friend you should consider yourself lucky.’”

She said when Ryan Seacrest announced her as the winner, she had a very odd reaction.

“Well, Ryan is kind of short so I was there trying not to see the card he was holding,” Sparks said. “I was holding Blake’s (Lewis) hand and when Ryan said my name, I kind of freaked out. All I could hear was the sound of my heart beating. I saw people cheering, but I couldn’t hear it. I went blank.”

During her visit to Sheltering Wings, Sparks sang two songs “Battlefield” and “God Loves Ugly.”

During the Super Bowl, Sparks said she will be rooting for the Giants.

Maria Larrison, CEO of Sheltering Wings, said having Sparks visit was a delight.

“This has been a great opportunity for these children and their moms,” she said. “They might not ever get a chance like this.”